Five-day-old parents
my wife and I
are 5 day old parents
our minds are fried
deep fried
deep fried in baby wee
and battered in baby vomit
sleep is soiled
by endless nappies
tears and
cries of exasperation
pierce the house
both his
and ours
we fret
we fray
we fumble with the ceaseless stress of
feeding well
feeding right
feeding day
feeding night
but
no matter what
he’s 9 pounds of cute
he's our beautiful bundle of boy
he holds our hearts
in his tiny little fists
in a grip that will last a lifetime
“Being at home can be fun, insulating, relaxed, boring or isolating ... depending on how the day is going.”*
School holidays are almost over in my part of the world – six long weeks of noise and squabbling balanced by hot, lazy days at the beach or the pool with lots of daring exploits and laughter. Many of our days were spent at home, basking in simple pleasures like baking, playing games or outdoor pursuits – trying to relax the everyday routines of school-morning bustle and ‘having to be somewhere on time’. However pleasant, I must admit to being relieved that life gets back to normal next week, and I can reclaim some of my own time for writing again!
* From Being Mummy by Anne‑marie Taplin published April 2007